What are the expectations for the Houston Texans in 2023?

Coming off a brutal 3-13-1 season, the Houston Texans are far from a bonafide contender, but improvement may very well be on the horizon. With new pieces acquired via the draft and free agency, the Houston Texans on paper have the makings for a leap in performance. 

Prized rookies C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., and key free agent additions including receiver Noah Brown, tight end Dalton Schultz, and Pro Bowl linebacker Denzel Perryman represent a few of the upgrades that Houston has made in the attempts to expedite their rebuild. 

While the Jacksonville Jaguars represent the favorites to take home a second straight AFC South crown, the Texans were more competitive last season than their record indicated. According to ESPN, out of the team’s 13 losses, six of them were one-score contests. 

With that in mind and an influx of new talent, what are realistic expectations for the 2023 Houston Texans? According to NFL reporter Jane Foster, the race for the AFC South may be more wide-open than one would think. 

"My expectations are to, going back to what you said earlier Cam, this division is sort of wide open. I got a lot of faith in DeMeco Ryans and I think they got some of the pieces. Why not Houston? "

- Jane Foster, NFL Network

While I strongly feel that the division is still Jacksonville’s to lose, the Houston Texans have drastically improved on both sides of the ball and have a legit shot at making the division race competitive. It’ll ultimately come down to the very thing that got the best of them a majority of the time last season; emerging victorious in tight contests. 

If the Houston Texans prove that they can win those close games, watch out. They very well may shock people this season.

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